Blade sizes

Question
Hi.  I have a coton de Tulear and like the puppy cut.  It's costing me too much to keep going to the groomer every 4 weeks.  I want to cut him myself.  What size blades do I need for the clipper I decide to buy?

Answer
This really depends on how long you want his coat to be. You could hand scissor him all over, but it sounds like you want him shorter since you are mentioning clippers and blades. With blades, the higher the number, the shorter the clip.

Clip-on combs (attached to something like a 30 or 40 blade) will leave the hair the longest. A #4 blade will shave the dog reasonably short, yet leave it with some length; this is probably the one I would use as they are a bit easier to use than clip-on combs. Clippers come with a #10 blade, which would be good for the belly and the groin area. I like to use a #30 or 40 blade between the pads of the feet, but one can use a pair of scissors for that.